Video signal processing, of motion and still image information, represents a critical functional component for many emerging computing systems. All of the prior video signal processing techniques, that have been proposed or implemented, employ a single or plurality of special purpose coprocessors based on the more traditional CISC or RISC computing principle. Consequently, these CISC/RISC host coprocessors can only partially improve the performance of specific subsystems, such as video encoding for multiple algorithms, high speed frame memory retrieval, and dynamic display management. The significant advantage is however, their ability to adapt with all existing DOS, WINDOW, or UNIX program data structures, through a traditional application programming interface.
Though practical, the speed and performance of these techniques are severely limited by the system throughput, the mismatch of data types, and the rigid CISC and RISC processor and memory system architecture, which have been designed to optimize the performance for text or graphics data types, but inefficient for real time interactive video processing. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,620 to Shimoni, U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,946 to Hammer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,7227,589 to Hirose, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,256 to Nussmier. Typically, these special purpose host coprocessors would be implemented either as digital signal processing or custom application specific integrated circuit (custom ASIC's).
While the aforesaid patents teach various methods and apparatus for compressing and decompressing video data, improve frame memory subsystem performance, and enhancing the image quality of the display data. None of the aforesaid patents have ever directed themselves to the concept and structure of an effective and generalized system architecture, which would priortize the complex video data types, and optimize performance for video signal processing, while the traditional CISC or RISC application programs can still be efficiently performed.
This novel method and apparatus would interconnect all data processors among consumer, communications, and desktop computing, allows for individuals to select and convey multiple forms of information such as sound, image, graphics, data, and live video, automatically adjust to the available bandwidth, and capable of communicating in multiple bandwidths.
More specifically, although prior arts have shown CISC and RISC can be extremely suitable for dedicated desktop computing in processing the traditional text and graphics data types. None of the aforesaid patents have directed themselves to the concept and structure of further broadening the scope, and to develop a new computing platform, This new platform would not only interconnect the traditional desktop data processors such as computers and workstations, but it would also interconnect television, VCR's, CD player, cameras, multimedia sensors, or any other consumer and communications data processors in a totally integrated environment. Consequently, in this novel integrated computing environment, complex video data types declare much higher priority, and require much higher run-time performance as comparing to the traditional text and graphics data.